The Rada Proposes Penalties for Fraud Involving AI

Members of Parliament are proposing that the Verkhovna Rada introduce criminal liability for fraudulent acts committed using artificial intelligence. The initiative aims to strengthen the fight against new types of cybercrimes that utilize AI technologies.

The draft law provides for the modernization of Article 190 of the Criminal Code by updating its terminology to reflect current requirements. According to the proposed changes, the new version of the article would classify fraud committed through illegal operations using information and communication systems or artificial intelligence systems as aggravated offenses.

The bill proposes to enshrine in criminal law the concept of “artificial intelligence systems,” which are defined as technological systems (software or software-hardware complexes) capable of generating content, forecasts, recommendations, or decisions that exhibit characteristics of human intellectual activity and are used to mislead the victim (in particular, through technologies for replacing or modifying faces, voices, or text data—so-called “deepfake” technologies). The final provisions of the draft law propose instructing the Cabinet of Ministers to ensure the adoption of the necessary subordinate legislation within one month. In particular, the bill provides for the creation of a clear procedural mechanism involving cybersecurity experts to verify AI-generated content during pretrial investigations and court proceedings in criminal cases.

The bill was initiated by members of the “Servant of the People” faction: Serhiy Kuzminykh, Olena Kryvoruchkina, and Heorhiy Mazurashu.

The relevant bill No. 15379, amending Article 190 of the Criminal Code to criminalize unlawful (fraudulent) acts committed using information and communication systems or artificial intelligence systems, has been registered with the Verkhovna Rada, according to the parliament’s website.